Oxen auction raises more than £150,000 for hospice

Charity ox sculptures that adorned a city over the summer have been sold to the highest bidder.

The OxTrail art installation covered Oxford in July and August with 31 large and 100 mini painted oxen.

On Friday evening, Sobell House Hospice sold 52 of the sculptures at an auction.

The event, at Saïd Business School, raised more than £150,000 for the charity, which provides end of life care and support to adult patients and their loved ones.

The works were decorated by local and international artists as well as community groups.

About 100 people went along to the fundraising auction and 150 bidders joined in online.

The BBC Radio Oxford ox, "Tony" created by Oxfordshire based yarn-bomber Yarnsy, was sold for £2,800.

His buyer said: “We are so happy to be giving the unique and beautifully crafted Tony a home in the Cotswolds where the 97.5 hours of crochet artistry will be admired in pride of place.

"We truly believe that after every storm in all of lives there is a rainbow, and Tony symbolises this perfectly.

"Thank you to Sobell House and we are glad to have contributed in some small way to the work you do for families in their times of need.”

'Moo-seum'

Local historian Mark Davies purchased the Looking for Alice sculpture by Caroline Ritson for £3,000.

The statue will be adopted by the Westgate shopping centre who will allow him to graze on the roof terrace, looking towards Christ Church College where Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland.

Oxfordshire residents, Claire and Pete Redfern bought five of the sculptures.

Mrs Redfern said: “My dad had less than eight weeks from diagnosis to passing away.

"His last day or two were spent in a hospice at home in Scotland but it doesn’t matter where, the point still stands, a hospice gave my dad and my family some incredibly precious and peaceful time."

The "Moo-seum" created by the The Story Museum, consisting of six mini oxen, was sold for £1,300.

About 85 schools and community groups helped decorate the miniature oxen, which have been on display in libraries, hotels and community spaces across the county.